Kankhal

Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India.Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as Kanakhala, Kankhal is one of 'Panch Tirth' (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, with other spots being Gangadwara (Har ki Pauri), Kushwart (Ghat in Kankhal), Bilwa Teerth (Mansa Devi Temple) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi Temple).It is most known for the Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Maa Anandamoyi Ashram and numerous other ashrams and old houses with exquisite wall paintings built by Hindu pilgrims in the 19th century.Kankhal in scripturesKankhal is mentioned in Mahabharata as follows,"Here, O king, before thee is the Kanakhala range, the favourite resort of sages. 'And yonder is the mighty river Ganga. Here, in ancient times, the holy sage Sanatkumara attained ascetic success. O scion of the Ajamidha race, by performing thy ablutions here in this river, thou wilt be freed from all thy sins. - The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatra Parva: Section CXXXV."Bathing in Gangadwara (Haridwar) and Kusavarta...as also in Kankhala, one is sure to become cleansed of all one's sins and then ascend to heaven." -- The Mahabharata, Book 13: Anusasanika Parva: Section XXV, p. 130.